Nuclear Spectra

The nuclear radiation from radioactive nuclei shows characteristic energies which suggest quantized energy states, reminiscent of the atomic energy states which give rise to optical spectra. The study of optical and uv spectra led to much of our understanding of atomic structure, and the same approach to nuclear structure can be taken by studying nuclear spectra. The picture of the nucleus in terms of a shell structure is not so clear cut as the shell structure of atoms, but it has nevertheless been a fruitful effort. Some of the arenas for the study of nuclear spectra are: